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ARRA Photovoltaic Project on PMRF Kauai Completed

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110928-11
9/28/2011

By Thomas Obungen, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii completed its final inspection Sept. 20 for a photovoltaic (PV) system at Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) Kauai, which is expected to generate 760 kilowatts (kW) of continuous power during the day when it is fully online.

"This sustainable energy initiative will assist PMRF in its efforts to reduce our use of fossil fuels and ultimately lower our energy costs," said Capt. Nicholas Mongillo, PMRF commanding officer. "We are excited to be close to turning on some of our newly installed PV which will move us toward our goal of completely supplying our hotel load needs with alternative energy and to comply with green energy mandates from the Department of Defense and Secretary of the Navy."

NAVFAC Hawaii awarded SuMo-Nan, an Oahu-based joint venture, a $6.7 million contract in December 2009 to design, furnish and install PV systems on building roofs at PMRF. This project is part of the Navy in Hawaii's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) efforts.

Installation began on the Navy Exchange with the concurrent replacement of the building's roof. A total of 460 thin film PV modules were mounted on new metal roofing panels prior to their placement on the building in July 2010. The contractor then installed 3,214 polycrystalline PV panels on other PMRF buildings.

An Interconnection Agreement between the Navy and Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) was signed this month, allowing the new photovoltaic systems to operate in parallel with KIUC.

"When analyzing fiscal year 2010 electrical consumption at PMRF Kauai and the capability of the PV buildings that will come online shortly, the base is expected to receive approximately 4.6 percent of its energy needs from the sun," said Bryan Law, NAVFAC Hawaii renewable energy program engineer. "When all buildings are placed online, this will increase to 9.4 percent."

The Department of Defense received $7.4 billion from the ARRA, which is less than one percent of the $787 billion total amount. The Navy in Hawaii received $124 million to modernize Navy and Marine Corps shore infrastructure and enhance energy independence on its bases.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus laid out five aggressive energy goals inOctober 2009 to improve our energy security and efficiency, increase ourenergy independence, and help lead the nation toward a clean energyeconomy. This initiative assists in achieving the energy goal ofincreasing alternative energy afloat and ashore where by 2020, theDepartment of the Navy (DON) will produce at least 50 percent ofshore-based energy requirements from alternative sources and 50 percentof DON installations will be net-zero.